-From the perspective of Suye-

  We have been searg for an hour and a half now, explored the first rge chamber, which we arrived to after climbing down the wall earlier, and have already checked about four smaller chambers of the a ruins. It was hard work to look through the dust and sand covered remains of the once feared civilization. Searg for anything valuable was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

  However, that did not make us any less motivated. We were treasure hunters for a reason.

  It didn’t take that long until the first successful finding had been uncovered. It was Bamadal who found it, who was our oldest member and therefore the most experienced one. He turned forty-one a few months back. I didn’t know him for too long, and he was ly the kind of man you could talk to in a rexed manner.

  He was a scary-looking guy, bald with small dark brown eyes always looking down at you in thick scrutiny, and an ugly scar c the lower part of his left cheek. Aside from that, his as only strengthehat impression of mine. He was easily irritated, and his words always sounded like he was angry at the whole world. A humor fueled suspi of mihat I was beginning to think was actually true. Because of that, I barely ever talked to him and teo avoid his presence whenever I had the ce.

  I took a gnd saw a bunch of glittering s in Bamadal’s hand before he pocketed them with deft movements. I was a bit envious seeing the glintial pieces rolliween his rough fingers, but I forcefully distracted myself in hopes of finding my own little treasures.

  It was always like that. Both a thrill and a petition. This was the part I really enjoyed about this whole job. Not eveioning that the one who found the treasures got a higher pert from that particur loot. It was how we agreed upon. Our earning was shared between us, but the ones who tributed the most will get a bonus for extra motivation.

  It worked like a charm.

  I tio search while still thinking about our first findings here.

  Old s were pretty on findings, but always appreciated. It was retively easy to find a collector for such items, a a reasonable price for them. This is going to be even easier if we add the fact that these particur ones were found in one of the Sith academies pced on Korriban. Naturally, we are going to prove such statements with a series of pictures and even video captures from the expedition. Those things were usually the responsibilities of Ligo, our boss.

  Still, Bamadal’s skills in finding hidden stuff or things with some value in ruins like this ohe best among us.

  I sighed while sweeping off another yer of dust from a partially broken stone bench. I looked u to see if there was anything stuck there. It was empty, aside from a few a cobwebs covered in small dust and sand particles.

  I straightened my bad tinued my search with a new vigor, as the retly uncovered loot boosted everyone’s morale. It was a sign that there were things to be found here. While doing so, my mind rambled with different thoughts. My body did not need my stant attention after all. It was on autopilot with the familiar- likely ingrained motions.

  I only joihis particur team about half a year ago and was still trying to find my role among the others. I had no specific position just yet. It will remain like this until I learn most of the more intricate parts of the job, then I will eventually receive a more specific job based on my showcased abilities.

  In the meantime, I carefully checked behind some debris, searched some ers in the current room, and after not finding anything worth my time, eventually decided to leave behind this room as well, and headed towards the other end of the dark and ominous corridor, of which I was starting to get used to.

  What a gloomy thought, indeed.

  I heard that my predecessor died in an act a few months before I joihe party, but I didn’t ask too much about the awkward topic. Seemed wiser that way, aually, most of them warmed up to me… it would be stupid to ask now, and it was fihis was.

  Sometimes it was still annoying to be the so called new member, or more likely the member… I was w with them for over half a year damnit and they still preferred to refer to me like that. Most likely to annoy me…

  While I walked, I looked into a few rooms on the way, only to realize that all of them were taken by one of our members. It was iive to sear the same room, if it was only this big. You would likely end up searg the same pces twice, which was stupid and a waste of time and energy.

  Therefore, I walked past those rooms searg for ohat was still free to take. Unfortunately, it turned out that there were no more rooms in this corridor, at least not the ones you could search. Some rooms have colpsed over the years of or because of some long past flicts. They might still be holding some valuables, but it was too risky and too much effort to try to clear out the debris and reach those envisioreasures. Which might just end up being that, the works of your overw imagination.

  I headed towards the end of the corridor. There was a double turn ih. First it headed right, and soon after, it turned left once more. When I tur the st er, still mostly submerged in my jumping around thoughts, I felt my heart skip a beat, and an almost painful spike run through my chest. My pulse was quiing as I blinked with fusion.

  However, even after a few hasty blinks, the reality which I was looking at in a disbelieving expression seemed to remain spread bare in front of my eyes.

  There ressure door here.

  It was right in front of me.

  And based on the inspicuously blinking lights on the door’s trol panel… it was very mu a funing order, and even ected to some stable energy source.

  My jaw dropped silently.

  My gaze wandered down to the sand covered floor, and as I turned my fshlight towards the fine sand, c every part of the ground, I could clearly see footsteps. Footsteps that were heading behind the door I was fag.

  -Ugh…

  Was the only sound I could make as I tried to ect the dots in my head. As the seds passed, the meaning of the current oute started to bee ever the scarier.

  I turail and ran back to Ligo, as fast as I could. Telling this to him was of the utmost importance.

  -From a general perspective-

  A few mier, the whole team was assembled and standing in a strained silence while looking at the door at the end of the corridor.

  -I told you!

  Came the slightly quivering voice, filled with equal excitement and fear from the back of the group. It naturally beloo Suye, their member, who just informed them about her test finding.

  -Dam’ straight!

  Stated Quagr, in a rare moment wheually used his brain to speak the gactic basic.

  Ligo looked at the door with a raised eyebrow and stepped closer.

  Bamadal grabbed his arm and stopped him. Which caused the man to turn around halfierce him with an annoyed gre. This caused Bamadal to let go of his arm, otherwise he met his gre straight on.

  A few tense seds passed like that, then Bamadal said with a growl.

  -’t you see that this pce is not as abandoned as we initially believed it to be? This is not what we agreed upon. Based on the footprints marking the ground, it is obvious that there was ret activity here. I don’t know what you think, but I am not going to raid someone’s pce, especially if that someone is capable of living on a p like this.

  Ligo seemed to think over the words that Bamadal said. Then he looked at him with a thoughtful expression and said.

  -I obviously see that, and who the hell said that I nning to raid this pce? I was merely ied in the person who chose to live in such a unique enviro.

  Bamadal fumed with barely suppressed fury as he answered in a half whisper.

  -Ligo, you damned bastard; I know you better than anyone here. You are not going to fool me, fucker! And no! I am not ied in the fug owner of this pce, since I have the capability to uand that such people typically do not appreciate pany, especially if said pany is unannounced.

  Listening to Bamadal’s rant, Ligo turned serious as well. He waited for the man to finish what he wao say, then looked him in the eye and asked.

  -Are you finished? Good. Then tell me, old friend, what the hell am I supposed to dht now? Hmm? Should we turn tail and flee in blind panic because some baffling ass hermit made camp in an unlikely pce? We have been pnning this excavation for two weeks now. We ’t just leave like that with nothing but a handful of s in your pocket! That is what I would call ridiculous!

  A tense silence filled the corridor. The crew was trying to make up their minds about what to do. Eventually Ligo grew tired of the silend stated in a gruff tone.

  -If you guys don’t have aer pn, then I suggest that you stay silent and do what I say. First of all, Quagr, open the door using one of those puter spikes yht along. No! Don’t even try to tell me that you don’t have any. I am not in the mood for meaningless arguments right now.

  Quagr walked to the trol panel and started the process of overriding it.

  In the meantime, Ligo leaned against the left side of the corridor, his bster pistol drawn and ready in his grasp, waving to the rest of his crew to follow his lead, and they did, if a bit grudgingly at first.

  The atmosphere in the dark tunnel became a lot tehan it ever was sihe beginning of the expedition. As the space adventurers’ hearts hammered iheir chests, their awareness skyrocketed, eyes trembling slightly in the dim light.

  Suddenly, a high pinging sound expanded, which was immediately followed by the opening door. As the meical door pulled back itself into its built in socket, leaving the way free for them to pass. Another series of corridors were uncovered in front of them.

  As, these were very different from the previous ohey were just as a, but a lot less abahe old oil holders, carved into the walls, were filled with small fme tongues, burning and providing light for those who chose to wahem. The floor was reasonably clear, and there were even a feestries hanging from the walls here and there.

  Aside from that, the dimly lighted corridors were just as silent as any previous one was. Which made them doubt if they were looking at an illusion of some sort.

  Cold air brushed against the dusty faces in the dim lights, while their eyes anxiously darted across the eery surfaces.

  At st, Ligo spoke up after carefully residering his earlier decision. He could immediately tell that something wasn’t right about this pce. The air was feeling unnaturally cold and heavy here. It was risky, yes… but it was intriguing. It felt as if he had traveled ba time by opening this door. It was obviously not the case, but the drastic ge in the enviro created the illusion for his brain, and the rest of them, too.

  He couldn’t allow himself to show signs of uainty right now. That would only scare the rest. Bamadal was already thinking about getting out of here. This could be their biggest exploratio. He could not allow it to go awry.

  Realizing this, he stepped forward, ag the part of the unmovable captain and stated in a strong voice.

  -What are you gawking at? Let’s check out this pce. Didn’t you want to find the owner?

  -When did I say that?

  Asked Bamadal in an annoyed, but awed tone, he was still uhe effect of this ued discovery.

  Quagr only growled something unintelligible in the background, while Suye was looking with a shocked expression and Malle licked her lips lightly, no doubt in anticipation of the values we could liberate from this pce.

  Without further dey. The small group grasped onto their ons and started to head ihe ominous pce. This time, there was no jokiween them. Only their cold, well practiced professionalism.

  About five minutes of stant walkihe corridor now stretched both in front of them and behind them. There was yet to be found a single side door or room which they could look into. The initial effects of the surprise began to wane now.

  Malle couldn’t hold back her words anymore. She spoke up in annoyance, as the corridor didn’t seem to e to an end.

  -How long do they make these stupid corridors… damn, should have brought along my speeder…

  The snarky ent triggered a small, amused smirk from most of the crew and allowed them to rex their tense shoulders, if only a bit.

  Fortunately, the long corridor didn’t st that much longer, and the tension came back when they saw the tight corridor expanding inter hall just in front of them.

  They exged quick silent g one another and tiheir way, being even more scious if it ossible.

  The five-man team slowly ehe huge empty hall. There was no furniture pced in the even darker room. The only light sour the pce was a simir oil mp, which was used in the corridor, except it was a few times the size of those. It was motionlessly hanging from the middle of the ceiling on dark, thick s.

  Creating the impression of being frozen in time and space itself, which was only broken by the occasional flicker of the burning fme i, casting the shadows of those bck s over the barely visible walls.

  The treasure hunters seemed to walk to the middle of the room, then started to look around, using their lights. Still, it was nothing obvious to find here…

  Ligo taking in the dreadful atmosphere of the pce, swallowed drily as he turned around to bark orders at his crew.

  -Quick, spread out, search the pce, don’t just stand there fools!

  This time, nobody said anything, only followed the orders tentatively.

  Suye, was shivering from the unusual ess that lingered in this part of the cave. There was something wrong here… but she couldn’t quite say what, exactly.

  She whipped her head to the left, eyes wide with fear and suspi. She stared into the shadows, and gnced back at her friends, but everything was in order.

  Did she imagi? She could have sworn that something had moved in the shadows just now… She forcefully shook her head and focused her light ba front of her.

  -This pce is starting to get on my nerves…

  She pined silently, in a way that nobody could hear it. Listening to her own voice usually helped her calm down, but this time, it didn’t seem to provide much refuge.

  She decided to step closer to the shadow covered wall, which was in the middle of the newly discovered hall. The light from the burning brazier didn’t reach that far. She focused her headlight in the shadows and tried to pierce the thick darkness.

  Eventually she succeeded, her light falling over a strange distorted shape. It seemed as if she had mao find some sort of statue here? She stepped closer to the dark gray material, which resembled the color of iron.

  While walking closer, she could see the statue in more and more detail. For some reason, an ominous feeling began to settle iomach, but she didn’t know why.

  Now at st she was standing in front of the statue, whiow turned out to be more of a carving, something carved out of the wall, perhaps? But the carving itself was the most disturbing. It was a grotesque, somewhat hunched over form of a young humanoid child? The body position clearly indicates that the person was in a lot of pain… and terror?

  -Gross…

  Was the only thing Suye could say at this. She heard the shuffling of feats approag from behind. She turned around halfway and owards the ining Malle. Who asked with a curious smile.

  -What did you find here, little Suye?

  Suye rolled her eyes, hearing the derogative adjective, but she chose to ig otherwise. She khat it would not do any good for her if she made her annoyance even more obvious. They would use it even more if they could figure out how much she hated those stupid niames.

  However, it was time to give Malle an answer.

  -It’s some weird carving that makes my skin crawl.

  -Carving you say…? Wait!? This is… oh my God…

  Suye became rigid when she heard the ued rea from Malle. She turowards her, and tensed up even more, when she saw her shocked and terrified expression.

  The others also noticed Malle’s gasp and started to walk closer, trying to figure out what had just happened.

  -Malle, what is it?

  Asked Suye in an almost whispering tone.

  Malle looked at the carving, toug it tentatively and said with a dreadful expression.

  -This is not a statue… it’s… it’s a carbon-freezed ptform… which means… that there is an actual person i… And based on the look of it… it’s a child… a tee best…

  -…

  -…

  -…

  -What the fuck!?